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She claps her hands, and I laugh. Taking my phone, she sets about placing an order from the website.

I glance at Pearl, who mouths, “Thank you.”

I nod. “Any time.”

I don’t linger. Once the pizza is ordered, I take off, wondering what the fuck just happened and how I’m going to ever look at this beautiful woman—one I can’t have—ever again.

CHAPTER 7

PEARL

“Your handiwork certainly looks painful,” I say to Ruby, checking out the burned flesh of Fury’s branding. I’d only heard about it until now, but she certainly didn’t hold back.

Fury is tied up and gagged; apparently, she likes to cuss a lot and spit.

This woman is not just a menace; she’s downright evil. Diamond suspected she had something to do with the cartel when girls along the border close to Saddle were being snatched and trafficked, but we never could prove it. We also suspect she could be behind my near-death experience, because one thing she knows how to do is manipulate people.

“Well, they don’t call me a spitfire for nothin’.” She smiles to herself proudly as we head out.

“You get anything new?”

“She’s a tough nut to crack, I’ll give her that. She told us she hooked up with the Crow’s Prez, and that he paid her to run some drugs north of the border.”

“So what was she doing here, at Lanzetti’s?”

“She maintains he wanted her for a job, but she had no idea what it was because he isn’t in town until tomorrow.” Ruby doesn’t sound like she believes that excuse entirely. We all know Fury would sell her own grandmother just to make a dime. She’s that desperate.

“Don’t tell me we’re actually gonna get to meet this elusive Lanzetti, after all?” I roll my eyes. “I was starting to think he didn’t exist.”

“Apparently so. Drifter said he’s definitely gonna be here because everyone’s running around like crazy, gettin’ shit ready.”

“If he’s going to address the town, he’d better be ready to have rotten tomatoes thrown in his face.” I smirk at the idea. Wouldn’t that be fun?

“I doubt he will. He’s a gutless piece of shit who gets other people to do his dirty work,” Ruby says as we head through the clubhouse.

Rustic Grove is a magnificent old homestead that Diamond remodeled. We all helped out where we could. Eventually, Rustic Grove became not just our clubhouse, but a home.

Mahini and I stayed here when we first came to town. Diamond is known for her big heart as much as she is for her badass attitude. She’s grossly misunderstood by many, but I don’t think she minds.

Here, we’ve housed runaways, stragglers, women down on their luck, rescued trafficking victims, and everything in between. When we took that bus down, it sent a message loud and clear. If people think the Stilettos are to be underestimated, they can think again.

Just then, my phone rings. It’s Phoebe. “One sec,” I say to Ruby as she heads to the kitchen.

“Coffee?”

I nod, mouthing, “Thank you.” I pick up the call.

“Hey, Phoebe, how you doing?”

I’ve felt guilty ever since the last conversation I had with Decker. It was easy to get swept away with it all, but after he left, reality dawned, and panic ran through me.

Have we crossed a line?

If he weren’t my best friend’s dad, I’d be all over it. Then I remind myself to cool it, because we didn’t act on it.

“Well, I’d be a lot better if my dad didn’t interfere with my love life,” she complains.

I roll my lips. From what I know about Decker, he’s very protective. He doesn’t need to tell me that, I can tell from his actions. Plus, he adores his girls. There’s something so sweet about that.